Aerobic Training in Post-MI Patients With DPN

Plain-language summary

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is categorized by the American College of Cardiology "class IA recommendation" in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) including post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients, who have reduced functional capacity and impaired quality of life. Studies have reported that post-MI patients enrolled in exercise-based CR (EB-CR) show improved functional capacity, significant decrease risk of re-infarction, and 25% reduction in mortality. Aim: To define the effect of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) on the outcome measures of exercise based-cardiac rehabilitation (EB-CR) program in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients with type-II diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: Thirty-seven post-MI patients with type-II DM were enrolled in the study within 1-6 months of MI from those referred for cardiac rehabilitation in the cardiac rehabilitation unit, Alexandria Teaching Hospital. Seven patients were lost. Fifteen patients attended 8 weeks of aerobic training program (exercise group; 12 men and 3 women) while 15 patients did not (control group; 11 men and 4 women). The exercise group was assessed for the presence of peripheral neuropathy and patients were accordingly subdivided into those with DPN "group A" and those without "group B". All groups were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the study. Evaluation included Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) questionnaire, 6-minute walk test, and symptom-limited treadmill exercise stress test (EST). Outcome measures included: DASI score; 6-minute walk test distance (6MWD); and heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), rate pressure product (RPP), and functional capacity in metabolic equivalents (METs) measured during EST.

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